Registration for refrigeration gas practitioners

The South African Qualification and Certification Committee for Gas (SAQCC Gas) is mandated by the Department of Labour to ensure all gas practitioners are trained, certified and registered under the Pressure Equipment Regulations (PER).

There are legally binding regulations that require anyone handling and working with gas to be an Authorised Person.

These legally-binding regulations require anyone handling and working with gas to be an Authorised Person. The South African Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (SARACCA) is an accredited member association of SAQCC Gas with the responsibility to review and process applications from persons in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry.

To be approved as a Refrigeration Gas Practitioner, the following should be considered:

• The person must first complete the safe handling of refrigerants course at a recognised training provider.

• The practitioner must work in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry as an installer or as a trade-tested artisan.

•The practitioner must be assessed as competent in the subjects of:

The objectives of the OHS act, Pressure Equipment Regulations and SANS 10147;

Understand the implication of Ozone Depletion and Global Warming;

The operation of refrigeration systems;

Understand the identification of refrigerants, the safe handling of cylinders and storage;

Be aware of the phase-out of CFC and HCFC refrigerants;

The pressure testing of a system;

The transfer and charging of a refrigeration system; and

The safe recovery of a refrigerant from a system.

• Application for registration can be completed using the prescribed form which is sent to SARACCA for verification.

When an application, along with proof of registration payment has been received, the verification process takes place and a category is allocated to the type of work done and skills profile.

Once a practitioner has been registered, they are expected to uphold and adhere to the PER. A disciplinary procedure has been put in place by the SAQCC Gas Code of Conduct and is applicable to where an Authorised Person practicing within his scope of work shows poor or bad performance and workmanship. Dissatisfactory work will be viewed in a serious light and in severe cases of misconduct legal prosecution could follow.